Slaughter, to be fair to the weather bureau, as the prevailing weather direction is from the west, the BOM there doesn't have the benefit of observations "upwind". I remember when I lived in Adelaide, weather forecasts were really accurate, as the weather had to first pass overland from Perth. The Tassie guys just have the Southern Ocean...

I'm not having a go at the weather bureau at all Tony. They do as good a job as they can possibly do with the information and data available. Rapid weather changes like that of our worst storm here, the Pasha Bulka weekend (pic below), were never predicted at all. Quite frankly, I never want to go through anything like that again.

It's not BOM's fault. I get what you're saying, but Keith lives on the East coast, same as us, and is about the same distance from the equator as Brisbane-ites and I reckon they would love the luxury of an accurate weather forecast. Trouble is that the press here in Australia suddenly think they are the experts and try to out do each other by up-ing the predicted wind speeds and rainfalls etc. A few months back, throughout a storm period, the press quoted expected winds of 120km. I don't think it topped 50km's which wasn't that much different than BOM's prediction. Typical irresponsible reporting !

_________________

Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Last edited by Slaughter on Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thanks to everyone for the generous comments. They are deeply appreciated. If I inspire anyone, it is because I hope everyone will get the opportunity to use their AI/Tis to do similar trips and learn to appreciate the wonderful outdoors, especially National Parks. National Parks are our legacy. They are the mark of a true democracy.

@ NOHUHU—I’ve become very weight sensitive since I started using hakas. This recent 6-day trip was the last that I will carry that big cooler when traveling solo. Much too much weight. On solo trips, sautéed fish is out! I’m going back to my backpacking ways—actually, I’ve never done any backpacking, but I know their mind process and their attitude. On these trips, you NEVER use all your food. Frequently, you just have a snack (Lara bar, carrots) for lunch—why bother to make a sandwich for lunch? It just takes time from morning packing, and you don’t need it. So, don’t bring anything special for lunch. For breakfast, I frequently have a scone or sweet roll w/ Jet Boil hot water for coffee—quick and easy so you can begin packing. On my off days, I may have Egg Beater eggs w/ chopped onions & maybe a bit of cheese. For dinner, I keep it simple. I like Tasty Bites available at Costco and Whole Foods. I heat an open bag of Tasty Bites in my Jet Boil surrounded by boiling water, add a serving of pre-cooked rice, and maybe add some ham chunks. If I have some precooked broccoli, I add that. Do anything I can heat in the hot water of my Jet Boil. Simple. Carrots are frequently my “veggie.” Cabbage keeps well and, when chopped, makes a good salad w/ oil & Balsamic vinegar. Nancy and I call it Alaska Salad after we first used it there.

You never use all you water either. If it is cool, and you always scrimp on water like I do, you can probably get by easily on 3/4 gal/day. And, then, on a 3-4 day trip, your 1st and last days are travel days—you only use .5 gal on those days. So, on a 4 day trip, you only need about 2.5 gal/person—a careful person like me. Don't even talk about a rinse shower to me. Never done it, never will.

Navigation? I’ve done this trip 17 times. It has been 10 yrs since I last carried any charts of the area. I do carry my GPS and a lot of extra batteries. My GPS has several hundred waypoints which include key locations and fishing spots. I’ve been a sea kayaker a long time, and I am a straight-line paddler. That’s what I like to be in my AI. I also have routes on my GPS, and I am very comfortable editing them and making new ones on the fly, depending on the wind and the weather. While I could do the trip without my GPS, I like to take the shortest, fastest path between 2 points, and my GPS helps me do that. I have always protected my GPS with a dry bag—the latest is AquaPac type bags or their knockoffs. I've NEVER had a GPS quit on any trip.

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

Keith - I'm looking forward to your trip report from this past week. The how much/how little to pack is a continual question in my mind. I was looking at my notes from our November trip and this stuck out: "A bit more wine. Less food. Frozen shrimp to use as bait or cook and eat."

I'm thinking about going to Cape Romano sometime in the next month. I'll do it solo if I can't find someone to go with me.

When I first built my hakas with 3 boards and an aluminum frame (http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&start=240, scroll up/down until you find the haka construction post,) I liked the potential for replacing parts. Well, my first replacement has been the aka bumper strip on the haka I use for a table. I decided the table legs were too close together (9”) and could easily be widened while making the connection of the leg to the haka stronger. I simply replaced the bumper strip with one which was 3” wider on each side:

The leg receptor is now attached to the aka bumper with a ¼” bolt rather than a short ¼” screw into the wood. The wider aka bumper allows the legs to be spaced 16.5” apart, rather than the 9” previously. I also strengthened the aka bumper by adding a 1.5”x1/8” aluminum bar along its base. The table is much more stable.

The new table:

The old table design:

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

My visitor Sue is very keen to sail any or all of the following, singly or in combination. She has a 30 foot Toyota Coaster motorhome, which she envisages shuttling to a destination so civilisation is available.

Forster - Seal Rocks (return or stay o'night return next day)Seal Rocks - Broughton (she has a contact with a member of a fishing club which has a hut on the Island)Broughton - Nelson BayNelson Bay - Newcastle

There were more or less 107 boats on the start line of this year’s Everglades Challenge. Every boat is unique, and probably every seat is also. I took some pictures of seats in Hobie Adventure Islands and few others. Here are some:Dogslife had one of the simpler, more traditional seats. Like many seats, he has extended the back. Perhaps he can get by with a relatively traditional, high-back seat because he has a totally soften the boat with pool noodle foam. He did use a Hobie I-seat.

This is JollyRoger’s bean bag seat. JollyRoger’s boat is not a Hobie, but he does have a number of Hobie parts (tandem mast & sail, akas, pedals). His custom-built boat has high free-board and this seat will probably work fine; although it would not be suitable for an AI or tandem.

This is Chief’s seat. It is a traditional Hobie seat with an I-seat. In addition, he has mounted it well above the traditional seat location. He is certainly not going to be setting in water. With his dry suit, he should be fairly comfortable.

CaptnChaos (aka Jim Quinlan) has a custom high-back with an I-seat cushion. With his dodger, he ought to be pretty comfy.

I’m not sure who this seat belongs to, but again it has a high back anduses a Thermarest air mattress. If owner could easily convert it to his sleeping mattress, that would be a real plus and space-saver.

Lastly, I’ve got a couple traditional boat captain chairs. The first sits on top of an elevated base. It will keep the owner from sitting in water and looks pretty comfortable.

The second Captain’s chair seat is in this tandem. It has Hobie pedals and a lot of freeboard. I didn’t notice at the time, but this looks like a Klepper folding kayak. I don’t know how they are fitting the Hobie pedals in since the Klepper has a Hypalon (rubberized) bottom.

I like these Captain chairs since they boost you pretty high, and they look pretty comfortable, but weight could be a problem.

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

LOVE those options. Thanks Chekika. I'm shopping around for a waterproof bean bag right now!

Jim's backrest was great too. I noticed that Capt Chaos was the only one openly displaying a personal safety leash, and if he actually wore it, I want to give him a great big Hawaiian Hobie hug for that!

A Trip to Pavilion-- WaterTribe EC2013, Haka Table, Choppers, Rough Waters, and a Good Time

This trip really started at the WaterTribe 2013 Everglades Challenge at Ft Desoto near St. Petersburg, FL. I drove there from Miami on Friday to take pictures and watch as people prepped their small boats and themselves for the 280-mile trek along coastal SW Florida down to Key Largo. It is called a “Challenge” but it has become an adventure race. Competitors have 8 days to finish the race, but most will finish in 4-6 days. It is a grueling undertaking, which requires the competitor finishing in 6 days to make about 47 mi/day. If you aim to finish in 5 days, you’re doing 56 mi/day, and to finish in 4 days requires 70 mi/day. The fastest boat this year was a Core Sound 20 with father & son crew: 2 days, 2 min or about 140 mi/day. The Core Sound was designed for the Everglades Challenge. The fastest solo competitor was Iszatarock (aka Hal Link) in a cat. He completed the race in 2 days, 10 hrs. That is an amazing feat.

The Start Line about 6:45 am, Saturday, March 2, 2013

On Friday afternoon, you meet people. Here is Kiwibird (aka Kristen Greenaway, who became an American citizen shortly after the EC) and Seiche (aka Denny Thorley.)

Josh Morgan standing by his Stellar SOT sea kayak. Last year, he did his first EC in an AI. He finished just 4 hrs after Dogslife, one of the great competitors in the Everglades Challenge. Interestingly, this year Josh finished in 4 days, 10 hrs. That was 6 hrs after our Dogslife in his AI. Josh is a great kid.

PenquinMan (aka Jim Czarnowski, Chief Engineer for AI/TIs at Hobie—I think) at the start line. Jim is a neat guy and great PR for Hobie. I understand he took this boat through the Wilderness Waterway including Nightmare—that earned him a “Gator’s Tooth,” the ultimate prize for EC competitors.

Dogslife (aka Paul Kral) gave everyone a 10 minute head start before getting underway. Gotta get that flag flying properly. He has posted an excellent video showing the EC at water level--scary at times. The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjJGYVARfD4

This is Chief (aka Steve Isaac, organizer and revered leader of the WaterTribe). After getting everyone off this morning, he has time to get under way. I don't know if he has posted his thoughts about the first time he has used an AI in his event. Unofficially, I've heard that he was never warm during his race to the finish in Key Largo. Dogslife has made the same comment. Chief's time was 5 days, 4 hrs, and 49 min--not bad for a Hobie AI first timer! Chief has made some interesting comments on a thread I started on the WaterTribe forum: http://watertribe.org/forums/topic/a-new-picture-story-w-a-slightly-different-view-of-ec2013

Three days later, I was getting a camping permit at the Everglades National Park headquarters in Everglades City. Who should I run into? Denny and Kristen. Kristen has written a terrific report of her day-by-day EC2013. It is an excellent read and has some great pictures of traversing Nightmare at low tide. http://kiwibirdkayaker.blogspot.com/ The days are in descending order, so go to the bottom to start at the beginning. Note the Adventure Island behind Denny & Kristen--it may be Chief on his way to Checkpoint 2.

As I was launching my AI, Kristen passed by on her way to Checkpoint #2 (900’ further along shore in Chokoloskee.)

Kayaker Kneadingwater came by and asked if we were the Checkpoint. I pointed to our boats and said, “Do we look like WaterTribers?”

Once packed, Maria & Tom Sanders in their double and I headed out the passes to Pavilion Key. Osprey nest with a couple of expectant parents

Steve got this close up.

Steve and Maria, left, after leaving Chokoloskee, on Gulf of Mexico. To the right is a Hobie AI—a WT EC2013 competitor. It is 3:20 pm, Mar 5. I think the competitor could be WaterTribe’s Chief.

Maria and Steve in camp on Pavilion Key.

It is our Day 2 on Pavilion, but WeedWarrior and Machete, EC2013 competitors, are beginning their Day 5 as they head for Checkpoint #3, Flamingo. It is about 65 miles. Somewhere on this leg or in Flamingo, they dropped out of the race. These fellows work for the Park Service controlling exotic and invasive plants and are right at home in this section of the EC. I don’t know why they did not finish because they seemed pretty confident when I talked to them the evening before and as they were launching.

This Bald Eagle is an old friend also. He was sitting on the point of our spit as we went fishing.

I had never seen him with a mate until this year when I was on my 7-day (aborted to 6) Flamingo to Chokoloskee trip. As I neared an island just east of Pavilion, I spotted a Bald Eagle pair and their nest. I’m glad to know my old friend has a mate after all.

Boy, fishing was slow today. Winds were bad. I caught this Gafftop Sailfish. Only a mother could love this slimy, smelly fish. What a face!

The seas on the west side of our spit were building. We wondered if our friends, Tom and Debbie Turner, would make it out.

In front of our camp, the pelicans were having a bit of a feeding frenzy.

Steve got this picture of the pelicans in action.

He also got these two shots of a Common Tern (Apparently the name comes from the fact that the bird is found all over the world.)

First, the attack

The recovery after the unsuccessful attack

The seas have really gotten rough, but we could see the sail of Tom & Debbie’s Tandem in the distance.

Nearing camp

The landing

We were treated to a beautiful sunset. Steve captured the moment.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a pack of helicopters over Pavilion. Presumably, they are coming up from the Naval Air Base near Key West—about 90 mi SSW.

Steve demonstrates his new, “Neil Armstrong look-a-like” Kokatat dry suit as we head out fishing on Day 3.

Fishing was better today. Steve caught a nice redfish which he released because it was slightly undersized.

Afternoon visitor

Debbie helping clean fish for dinner. Isn’t my haka table amazing? Here it as a fish cleaning station. BTW, this trip was taken before my recent modification of my table to make it more stable. That modification is in a post just above this one.

Here, my haka table serves as the focal point of a great picture. Maria, Steve, Debbie, and Tom.

Tides coming in—Maria and Steve loaded and ready to return to Chokoloskee

Steve got this interesting shot of Tom’s tandem lined up with my AI as we near Chokoloskee.

The picture makes it look like we are close to Chokoloskee, but, in fact, we are still a mile away. It was taken as we emerged from the pass. We will take the shallow channel along the sandbar to our left to move to the edge of the oyster bars, and then work our way to the right along the bottom of the oyster bars. This will get us in position to go up the middle of the bay to our launch site.

Between the WaterTribe EC2013 activities, challenging weather, helicopters, my haka table, this was a pretty eventful trip. As usual, good food, good friends, and boats that performed flawlessly. What more can you ask?

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

Last edited by Chekika on Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.